Livingston rolls out new school buses

LIVINGSTON - More than a dozen new school buses rolled out for the first day of school in Livingston Parish.

After paying for repair after repair Livingston Parish Public Schools spent nearly $1 million to get 14 new buses and 25 used buses. Now the old phased out buses with fading paint, rust and holes will no longer hit the streets.

"It's two-fold. It helps with the drivers' morale. It helps with our students getting to school on time. Plus it helps with the maintenance on the back end," said Supervisor of Transportation Steve Vampran.

The newer model buses come with two cameras installed inside along with a safety feature called a no child left behind buzzer. It makes the bus driver walk to the back of the bus to ensure that no child is left on-board after the route has ended.

"Anything that can aid the safety of a child and make sure that no child is left unattended on a bus at any time is definitely something that we look to making sure it works," said Vampran.

It's the first time in ten years that new buses rolled out in Livingston Parish. The school system is working to add cameras to all buses that aren't heading toward being phased out.